James Potter and the Half Blood Prince
by emerald-eyed-stag
Summary: Lily didn't mean to hurt James this much. She thought that the spell would turn him purple, or something equally as harmless. She didn't realise that when Severus Snape writes 'For Potter' under and incantation, it could never be harmless. LJ oneshot, rr


James Potter, and the Half Blood Prince… 

_Lily thought that the spell would just turn him purple or something equally as harmless…she didn't realise that when Severus Snape wrote 'for Potter' under an incantation, it was definitely not harmless. L/J Oneshot_

"I thought-" Lily was sobbing now, and Sirius hugged her, tightly. "I thought that it- I didn't get it from a real- I didn't know what it would…"

Lily broke down into uncontrollable sobs, and showered the shoulder of Sirius' robes with her tears. Sirius stroked her hair softly, and looked at Remus over her shoulder, alarmed.

"Lils, Lily we don't want to upset you, but we sort of have to know where that curse came from, and I can't understand a word you're saying." Sirius explained, gently, prying her off him delicately. Lily sniffed, and nodded sadly. Remus moved closer, and Sirius held Lily at an arms length, her face red and stained with tears, her eyes rimmed and puffy.

"Now, what happened? Where did you find it?" he asked, slowly.

Lily opened her mouth, and began to speak.

"I didn't mean to… I had no idea that the spell would…that it would make him…" she couldn't go on. Remus sighed, and Sirius almost got agitated, but he didn't want to upset Lily. She was guilty and distraught enough as it was.

"I found it in a book." She said, slowly, "But it didn't say what the spell did. It just said…" she stopped, like she didn't want anymore to be told. She knew now that she had done wrong, she just didn't realise that he hated him _that much._

"Lily please."

"It just said 'for Potter' that was all, underneath it. I thought it would be something funny, or embarrassing. Something that he had found in a spell book, but this curse is- it's dark magic, I didn't think that he was capable of it, I-"

"Lily, what book was this?" Remus asked, moving closer and lowering his voice. Lily's lip trembled. She didn't want the boys to hate her. They were James' friends, and they already hated-

"Snape's. Severus's textbook. He scrawled spells all down the margins, ones that he's found, or ones that he's written himself. I say this one when I was working with him on that assignment where Slughorn paired us together last year, I've been meaning to use it ever since, and when Potter and I were arguing in the common room I just snapped."

Sirius was pacing the hallway now, his fists clenched. There was something seriously wrong with James- he was laying in there, unable to move, all clenched up with the most pained look on his face. Every so often he would flinch, and give out a little scream, which they could hear through the walls of the hospital wing. Lily flinched every time that the noise floated out to them, and give another little sob. She had never meant for this to happen. For any of this to happen.

"You just do it for the attention Potter! I hate you! You don't love me, you love the attention you get when you pull stupid stunts like this one!" She yelled at him, from across the common room, her face red and her hair hanging in wisps around her ears, floating and jiving as she stormed closer to James, whipping around dangerously. At Lily's words James had appeared to have been slapped clean across the face. He stood there for a moment, s though all of the life had gone from his body, and then, in an instant, as though he had never lost his cocky flair, he rose up again, and started to scream back.

"Attention? You want to talk to me about attention Evans? If you don't want the attention then why are you making a scene now? You want everyone to look at you! And see how beautiful you are, walking around like you own the place, you-"

James was cut off mid sentence, and fell to the floor, his head colliding with the wooden floorboards with a resounding crack, and his body seizing up so that it was ridged, and in an awkward position. Everyone gathered around him, and all eyes turned back to Lily.

Lily Evans was standing with her wand out, in her left hand, and her right hand clasped to her mouth, fear and shock etched into her pretty face. She rushed over and knelt beside James, who was twitching as though he were watching a horrific film inside his mind, and it wasn't pleasing him at all.

Sirius looked up at Lily. "What did you do to him?" he growled, under his breathe. On the contrary now, no one else n the common room seemed to want to have anything to do with Lily or James, and they were all moving about the room, and up to their dormitories as though nothing had happened. Some of the girls in the house moved about the edge of the room, eyeing James sadly, brushing their hair out of their eyes and looking tragically scared and beautiful. But none of them looked as scared as Lily as she replied to Sirius Black, and none of them could claim to be scared and beautiful while she was in the room.

"Just get him to the hospital wing." She replied, in a hollow, distressed voice. Sirius acted straight away, the muscles in his arms tensing impressively as he hoisted James over his shoulder and carried him to the door of the common room. James didn't notice. His eyes were still firmly shut, and his forehead was creased, as though he were terribly frightened. Remus ran along behind them, muttering to James frantically. Lily looked for a moment like she didn't know what to do, then she followed, quickly, carrying James' hand in her own, smaller one, squeezing it tightly.

" So you mean to tell me," Sirius begun, still pacing, and not looking Lily in the eye, no longer sounding sympathetic, "That Severus Snape is the reason that James is in there?"

Lily gave a tiny whimper, and tears spilled out of the brim of her eyes again, though she tried desperately to hold them back. She shook er head.

"No, no no no, it's my fault that James is in there. I shouldn't have used a spell when I didn't know what it did. I thought that Snape would never want to seriously hurt James, yes, but-"

She stopped and turned to Remus, who had just given out a disagreeing snort, though he was still facing the floor.

"Sorry?" Lily said, her forehead creasing as she raised her eyebrow and turned to Remus, who hadn't talked much since the beginning of the conversation.

"Lily, Severus has never liked James. They've always hated each other. Surely we have told you that before. You have always hated the way that James cursed Snape, always, you're famous for it."

Lily's eyes widened, and she looked, if possible, even guiltier than she had before, when she had been telling where she had learnt of the incantation.

"I have seen it when James hexes Snape, yes, but never Snape picking on James." She said, trying to defend herself. It didn't work. It seemed that Sirius needed someone to blame, and he had forgotten all empathy that he might have been showing towards Lily Evans. Now he was mad.

"Lily, all those years and you never once realised that Snape hated James back! All these years and you just assumed that James was so big headed that he would be that cruel to a perfectly nice guy? James Potter is the best friend that I have ever had, and let me tell you that he is not like that, and he never has been, no matter how conceited he was in the past." Snape has done some horrible things in his time, and if you told me that it was him that is putting Prongs through that hell then I don't doubt you for a second."

Lily turned, without saying a word, and ran back down the corridor, away from the marauders and the hospital wing. She ran, scared and afraid of everyone that she passed, incase they had heard the news. The news that the head girl had just put a horrible curse on the head boy, and James Potter was still in the hospital wing, suffering some horrible side effects. The curse hadn't even been ministry approved. It wasn't even legal. She could get herself thrown out of the school for this. She could get James killed for this. All because of a stupid argument.

Lily ran and ran, until the noise that she made when her feet collided with the stone floor sounded hollowed, and deeper, and she knew that she was in the dungeons, and in the corridors that led there. She knew that she would find him here. It was no secret that he didn't like to use the Slytherin common room. He could always be found, by the side of the stairwell that led down to the lowest chamber. Sitting alone, with a book or his wand in his hand.

Lily had never been for herself. He had shown her the place, of course- when she had been forced to work with him last year, for potions, she would have to come down here where he liked to study- the library being far to public for him. Lily used to admire his solidarity, and his determination to be different, always determined to let herself find the good in people.

That was her greatest attribute, and her greatest flaw. She could see the good side, oh yes, and it helped when she wanted to make friends, or end fights, however, when it came to judging those who weren't to be trusted, it made her blind.

There he was. The top of his head was black and shiny, and she could only see the outline of his silhouette in the shadow. Snape looked up, to where Lily stood on the stairs. His face broke into a sneer.

"Evans. What do you want, you filthy little mudblood. I thought I told you I never wanted to be seen near you again. After having to work with you all last year I don't want to be known as one who hangs around scum-"

"Tell me how to save him." Lily demanded, no once of kindness in her normally sweet voice. It was now as cold and harsh as the stones that she rested her bare feet on.

Snape appeared to be confused, though he didn't like to show it. He merely raised his dark eyebrows, and screwed up his nose, as though he could smell something vile, and wished it would disappear.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Potter. The spell that said 'for Potter' I trusted you, I used it, now tell me, what would make it go away?" she asked, pleading, desperate. Snape appeared to be very shocked, and he new exactly what she was talking about. The spell that he had written almost a year ago, the one that would put James Potter into an enchanted sleep, where he would dream about the most horrible things in the boys mind- Severus had, however, managed a feat with that charm that he was sure would make him honoured with the Dark Lord- the rising hero of some more secretive members of his house-though he had not divulged the secret yet. Snape had unlocked an ancient secret, stumbled across it, by accident. In dreams, one can experience pain of many sorts-they can wake up crying, or imagine a terrible heartache. What Snape had managed to do, however, was make the pain real- not just seemed real, but feels real. It James was crucioed in his dream then he would feel the pain- if Lily Evans slapped him in his nightmare then he would feel the burn across his cheek, as well as the horrible aching in his heart. Snape had unlocked something amazing, and he knew it. He was glad, now, that it could be tested on James Potter.

Lily's eyes were still shining with tears, and her cheeks were a furious red, with pale trails clearing the way for the trickles of sadness to drip down them in desperation.

"That's your fault then, for using it, isn't it mudblood?" Snape sneered. Lily's face was taunted into hatred. "You shouldn't have read it, should you? You shouldn't have used it on Potter in the first place, though I am glad that you did-"

"Glad! Severus, he is lying in the hospital wing in some sort of-"

"Pain?" Snape asked, in mock curiosity, 'Oh yes, don't worry, I know how the spell works."

"But there's a counter curse, isn't there?" Lily asked, desperately, "Here has to be, you would know, you wrote it."

"Of course there's a counter curse. I wouldn't be so stupid as to create an incurable torture- it would be too ironic if it was used on me…"

"So what is the incantation then?" Lily asked, perking up a little. Her sudden burst of happiness faltered when she saw that Snape still wore that sadistically delighted sneer on his pale, pointy face.

"You don't think that I'm going to give it to you though, do you Evans?" he asked, it harsh tones, spitting with every word. "Have Potter in that much pain and get the mudblood out of the school in one go? This has worked out even better than I would have fathomed when I invented the spell…"

Lily let out a cry. She could see the potions textbook, where the counter curse would undoubtedly be lying stationary on the floor by Snape's side. She reached for her wand, to summon it, knowing deep down that it was a lost cause. Snape saw her movement, and grasped the book firmly between his spindly fingers.

Lily whipped around, and ran at full pelt back up the stairs, furious, and pounded the steps back to the hospital wing at a flying pace. She came to a halt, panting so much that she could hardly breathe, out the front, where Sirius, Remus and Peter were still assembled, white faced and trembling.

Lily doubled over, the stitch in her side, felt like it was about to split her open. Remus rushed to her side.

"What is it?" he asked, a crease appearing on his forehead, frowning.

"Snape. I went and saw him. He won't give me the counter curse." She gasped, "It's in his potions book. He wont give it to me."

Sirius jumped, and set off to run. Lily stopped him, by grabbing the edge of his robes, which were billowing behind him.

"No!" she said, trying to stop him, her red hair falling over her face, making her appear elegantly distraught. "You can't try and make him Sirius, he could just as easily destroy it!" Sirius stopped, and turned around, his jaw dropping in horror. Lily shook her head.

"If we could only get into his dormitory, and steal it tonight, but he's a Slytherin… or if we could invent one ourselves…" Lily trailed off, and Remus looked thoughtful. Peter played nervously with the hem of his robes, and Sirius cocked his head impatiently, his eyes darting backwards and forwards from the door of the hospital wing, to the hallway down which he knew Snape resided.

"…If we could disguise ourselves…or one of us could disguise ourselves, and the others could help under the cloak…" he trailed off. They would need one person to be disguised as a Slytherin, so that they could get into the common room…get the password…

"Well that's got to be me, hasn't it/" stated Lily, matter-of-factly. The marauders turned to her, their faces blank.  
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, still highly aggravated by the girl. "I didn't think that we were including you in this at all-"

"Of course you are! I know what the book looks like, I will be able to manipulate the Slytherins easily, and I would be the one that they would least expect to pull a stunt like this! Not to mention that this whole thing is my fault, and if James never forgives me then I don't know what I would do-"

"So you think that getting a book will make it up to James for the fact that you put him in there, in some sort of unknowable pain?" Sirius asked, talking absurdly. Lily was on the verge of tears again, but she didn't want to have another break down, as she had before. She had to help, and crying over it wasn't going to get James out of the hospital wing. Changing her hair, however, to a shocking black, as she did seconds later, would.

"Lily, are you sure that you-"

"Yes Remus, I am positive." Lily was scared. She knew, however that this was what she had to do. She pointed her wand at her nose, and performed a masking charm, which turned her nose into a long and pointy feature. Her eyes, with another swish of her wand, were turned a deep black. There was barely a trace of Lily Evans left in her, and she was happy. Lily looked quizzically at the boys, who stared at her, amazed at the amount of skilled wizardry that she had just shown, in such a short time. They were ready; and dinner was just finishing downstairs, perfect timing.

"Peter, can you run up to the dormitory, get the cloak, and meet us in the entrance hall in two minutes?" Lily asked, swiftly. Peter nodded, and sped off down the hall, at a top speed.

Lily grabbed Remus and Sirius by the hands, and ran through the school, trailing them behind her. Sirius snapped his hand away from her angrily, and continued to run alongside them. Remus glanced across at Lily.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, stopping abruptly. He waved his wand at her chest, and then Gryffindor coat of arms that was on her robes were immediately changed for those of green and silver.

"Thanks!" Lily said, gratefully, before they broke into a run again, trying to catch up with Sirius, who had gotten impatient with the stop.

When they got to the Entrance hall, Peter had already beat them there, holding the silvery cloak in his arms. The four friends ducked around the corner, and the marauders through the cloak over themselves, Peter transforming into a rat, so that they could fit- the three of them had grown a lot since they begun to sneak around under the silvery invisibility cloak, many years ago.

With Peter pocking out of Remus's top pocket, and Sirius steering the way that they were walking, in front, they moved so that they were situated next to Lily, and Remus hissed at her out of the corner of his mouth.

"We're here Lily."

"Alright. I'm Sienna, though, from now on, alright?" she told them, trembling as she talked. Remus's eyes glazed over with tears, though he dare not shed them, for fear of what Sirius would say, as he always did when wizards cried.

There was much more than guilt glazed in Lily's unfamiliar eyes. There was love there, Remus could see it. She must have liked James for a long time before this, she has to have. Otherwise she would not be caring quite this much. She would be trying to save her own skin, not take more risks.

A Slytherin boy, who Lily had never seen before, went walking swiftly across the entrance hall. She stepped out of the shadows, and followed him, subtly, the marauders walking together, at the same pace as she did, so to mask the sound of their own footsteps as they resonated on the stone floor.

She followed the boy until he was down in the dungeons. Everything was eerily dark, and the lighting was so dim that it appeared to have a green tinge, reflected in the pools of damp ground that were speckled across the stone floor.

They continued until they reached a bare patch of stonewall. The boy stopped, purposefully, and Lily held her breath, lingering again in the shadows.

"Serpent." Hissed the boy, and the stone of the wall slid out to reveal what had been a concealed doorway. The boy slipped through, and the doorway promptly sealed itself again.

Lily approached the stone. She hoped that the others had taken good notice of how long they would have to sneak past once she had said the password. They would have to get in before her, and she would have to cross her fingers and hope that they made it through…

"Serpent." She said, trying desperately to make her voice sound as different as she could, and brushing her black hair out of her eyes as she went.

The stone doorway slid open again, and Lily hesitated before entering, letting the others pass through invisibly before she tried. She felt the brush of Remus's foot, tapping hers to let her know that they were in. Lily quickly followed, and the door, as if impatient, slammed closed behind them.

The common room was cold, and deep, dark eyes seemed to peer ion at her from every corner, probably registering that they hadn't seen her much before, but not thinking anything of it. She sat down in the edge of the room, and hoped that no one bothered her.

Meanwhile, Sirius was walking at such a fast pace, to the Slytherin boys' dormitory, that Remus couldn't keep up, and Peter was squeaking in alarm. Remus poked Sirius in the arm, making him come to a halt.

"What?" Sirius hissed, aggravated,  
"We need to slow down, someone will hear the footsteps, and the cloaks beginning to come up at the back…"

"We need to get the book before James-"

"I know that this is important, but we wont be able to help James at all if we are found and thrown out, will we" Remus hissed back.

Sirius deflated, and they began to tiptoe lightly down the stairway, turning slowly and carefully.

Then they came to it- labelled clearly on the door- seventh year boys, and smelling slightly of decay, was the dormitory that Severus Snape slept in.

Sirius opened the door, nudging at it gently.

Lily sat in the common room, hastily avoiding the gaze of everyone whose eyes landed on her. She engrossed herself by staring at feet, intently, and trying to seem hostile.

Lily stole a glance, looking up around the room.

That was when she saw it.

Snape was sitting at a table across the other side of the common room, pouring over a notebook, many other textbooks piled up in front of him on the table.

Tethering at the very top of that pile was his potions textbook.

Lily tried to mask a tiny gasp, but she couldn't. She was nowhere near the doorway out, and Snape was sop near the reason that they had come here. He was practically sitting on top of it. Obviously he had decided that his place down in the dungeons, by the stairs was no longer safe enough, now that Lily Evans was after him, and had receded to the common room.

Snape got up, and crossed the room. At first Lily thought that he was walking towards her, but he went straight pas her, down the winding staircases that led to the dormitories, muttering about running out of ink.

Lily let out a sigh, before her eyes snapped wide open, in horror. The marauders didn't know that Snape was coming. They would be in the dormitory, pulling apart Snape's things for the potions book. Not stopping for a moment to consider what the repercussions might be, Lily stuck her head down the stairway, waiting for Snape to get about halfway. When she could no longer hear his footsteps, she gave an ear-splitting yell, wordless, but meaningful to the alert ears that received it down the other end of the hallway; turned, and ran across the room, shocked faces staring at her from all around, people beginning to get out of their chairs to come after her, but momentarily stunned by whoever she was, and whatever it was she thought she was doing.

Lily ran across the room, grabbed the book, and ran for it; the stone wall at the end of the small staircase that led to the dormitory sprang open for her as she approached, and Lily rocketed down the hallway, her hair flying around her, unrecognisable as the daring stunt she was pulling. Lily felt like anyone but herself. At the moment, she was the opposite to everything that she had always told herself she wasn't- a rebel, a thief, a Slytherin, a marauder, and- and this was the one that scared her the most- in love with James Potter.

Remus, Sirius and Peter heard the yell immediately, hearing its echo down the long hallway. They knew who it was, and Remus grabbed the cloak and threw it over the three of them. The same thoughts were going through each of their heads, and none of them were good- Lily was obviously in some sort of trouble, and they couldn't find the book anywhere. They didn't even know if Snape had come back to the dormitory yet, there was hardly a chance that they would find the textbook in the dormitory at all. All of this had been for nothing.

Remus peered through the crack in the door, which they had left ajar, for this precise purpose. He could see a silhouette, by the light that was cast out of the dormitory and into the corridor. The weedy figure and the crouched stance told Remus everything that he needed to know. Lily had blown her cover to warn them all that Snape was coming, and that they were about to be found out.

Snape had stopped though, hesitating, almost sniffing the dank air around him for a sign of deceit. Then, in an instant, something seemed to click, and he let out a tiny scream, a horrified yell, setting back off up the staircase, towards the common room again, his footsteps echoing ominously on the stone platforms.

Remus and Sirius, nursing Wormtail, once again, followed at a run, keeping in time perfectly, after years of practise, and making it to the top just as Snape was.

Snape was launching himself across the room, and towards the door, screaming in a blind rage. Everyone else in the house seemed confused, and burlily frightened, but those running neither noticed, nor cared. Snape knew, from the moment that he saw the desk he had been sitting at what had happened, and all that the marauders could think of was getting out of the common room before the door closed on Snape.

Lily slowed down, as she reached the door to the hospital wing, and opened the book in her hands, shaking.

She thought hard. They had been studying anomortia, last year, the day that she had read the spell. It would be logical, then, for the counter curse to be on that page as well. Lily flicked to a page near the back of the book, trying to stay focused and not let herself be amazed by the amount of writing that Snape had inscribed in the margins.

She flicked and flicked, until a page with scribble down the middle margins, and much amending to the ingredients list was found.

In the bottom, left hand corner, just as she remembered it, was the spell that she had memorised, all those months ago.

N/vbl

articulusio

Lily scanned the page. At first her heart sank, and she didn't think that she would be able to find the counter curse, however, imprinted in the left hand corner, in almost illegible cursive were there words

Hydrosufix explorade

Lily murmured to herself, softly.

"Hydro…that was water…"

She needed to get inside the hospital wing. Lily knew that Dumbledore would be looking for her by now, wanting to know what had happened. She was glad that, for the moment, she was still disguised as a Slytherin.

Lily heard a scream from inside the hospital wing. She knew that if the others didn't get to her soon then she would have to perform the incantation herself, without them, and without the permission of the nurse…

There were loud footsteps behind her, and Lily turned, her black hair fanning out behind her flashily, so that she was facing the marauders, as they emerged from underneath the invisibility cloak.

"We need to be quick, Snape might be here any moment." Remus said, promptly, before looking at Lily. She wore an enormous grin on her face,

Sirius caught sight of her, and raised his eyebrows, questioningly. Lily nodded, relieved, and threw herself at Sirius, hugging him. Sirius sighed, giving Lily a small smile.

"Thanks for saving our arses back there Evans." He said, quietly.

Lily's voice was muffled by the folds in Sirius's robes, her face pressed into his chest.

"Don't be stupid, if it wasn't for me then you lot wouldn't be in this mess in the first place-"

"Yeah, but you didn't know."

"I still shouldn't have done it-"

"Er, Sirius?" Remus cut through the gushing apologies, and Lily broke away from Sirius. "We still have to perform the counter curse. You think you can do it Lily?" he asked, and Lily nodded her head, vigorously.

Remus opened up the door, cautiously. Madame Pomfry was in her office, using the fire to speak to someone, most probably Mr and Mrs Potter. Remus ushered Lily in, and he, peter and Sirius followed closely behind. They stood over James' bed, just as he let out an ear-piercing scream, writhing in agony.

Lily gave out a helpless moan, and tears spilled over her eyes, and onto the bed. She drew out her wand, and pointed it at James' chest.

" Hydrosufix explorade!" Lily exclaimed, grabbing onto James hand tightly. Sirius and Remus saw this immediately, and exchanged hopeful, and almost proud glances.

James' breathing became normal again, and he gathered a drained, yet content expression on his peacefully sleeping face. Lily breathed a sigh of relief, and Remus put his arm around her shoulders, as she tried to stifle her tears, with harsh sobs.

Madame Pomfry peered out around the corner of her office, and let out a horrified scream when she saw the amount of people gathered around James Potters bedside. She hurried over to them.

"What on earth do you think you're playing at?" She screeched, storming up at them, Remus and Sirius stared at her defiantly, but Lily and Peter seemed to cower in her wake.

"Before you say anything, just take a look at James. We cured him, so you cant blame us for coming in. You wouldn't have believed us if we had told you!" said Sirius, setting his jaw in a firm line, and staring the nurse in the eyes. She blundered for a moment, and then stared. She stared at each and every one of James' friends, hovering about his bedside, and the, finally, down at James, who was sleeping peaceful in his bed, a small smile on his handsome face.

Madame Pomfrey's mouth fell open, though she immediately tried to disguise the shock. Her eyes darted straight back to Lily, who was still looking devilishly Slytherin.

"And who is this? You aren't a friend of Potters, are you/"

"Actually Ma'am-" Remus begun, cutting her off politely. Madame Pomfry appeared to be abashed. "But this is a good friend of ours, and James', and he would want her here, I assure you."

"Be that as it may, Mr Lupin, none of you is permitted to be here while Potter is still recovering."

"If I could please miss? Would you allow me to have just one more minute with him?" Lily asked, distraught. She glanced at the others. Remus gave a nod, and Sirius relented reluctantly.

'Alone?' she added. Madame Pomfry threw her hands up in the air, and walked purposefully back to her office, as if to state that there was no point arguing with them. Remus, Peter and Sirius left, Sirius giving James an affectionate pat on the shoulder before he left, and Lily a platonic kiss on the cheek.

Lily watched the door swing shut, and sat gently in the seat at the side of James' bed.

She realised then that she still hadn't let go of his hand, and held it in both of herself, rubbing it warm, and never wanting to let it go. After all had been said and done, Lily had known for a long while now that she had been in love with James Potter. Denial, might be a word that many would use to describe her state of mind, however, the one that Lily preferred to use was 'unstable'. She had been sure that the phase would pass, as all high school crushes did, and as James' would for Lily, once the chase was up.

When it hadn't gone away, however, Lily had gotten more and more defensive in James' new inventive ploys to win over her heart, which had led them straight to this hospital bed.

A tear ran down Lily's cheek and onto James's blanket covered chest. James rolled over slightly, but Lily kept a firm grip of his hand.

"I'm sorry James." She whispered to him, softly. "I am so sorry. I had no idea that this would happen."

James' eyelids fluttered a little, but did not open, and Lily sighed, standing from her chair, and beginning to leave the room.

"I love you Potter." She said, quietly.

James' eyes opened.

"Lily? Lily is that you?" Lily walked back over to where James' bed lay, his eyes open and staring at the ceiling. Lily smiled, and rushed to his side.

"Yes! I am so sorry for what happened, I-"

"I don't want to hear apologies, I-" James stopped, as Lily's came into view. It wasn't Lily at all.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" he asked, looking Lily up and down, from her black hair to her Slytherin clad robes. Lily's smile faded. At first she thought that his memory had been affected by the curse, but then she remembered what she looked like.

"I thought you were Evans. You sounded a hell of a lot like Evans. I though I was having a nice dream, you know, Evans telling me she loved me and all, but this, this is another one of those nightmares!"

Lily gave a tiny giggle, and pointed her wand at herself.

"Finitay incantato." She murmured, and walked closer to James, who was confused

"It is me." She reassured him, still amazed by the fact that James could tell her voice, " and I did say I loved you. You weren't dreaming."

"I wasn't?" James had a drowsy smile on his face now, and his eyes were fluttering closed again, "You're not just saying this because you're guilty? Because I know that you wouldn't have meant for me to wind up in here you know? I know that you wouldn't do that, even to someone as annoying as me."

Lily shook her head, "No, not because I feel guilty- I mean, I do feel guilty, but I have known for a while now, I just…"

"It's all right Lily, you don't have to explain." James said, smiling.

I'm just glad that you're all right." He added, his smile faltering. Lily frowned. She didn't know what he was talking about.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked.

"I saw you. In the dream that I had, I saw you…" he told her. James' voice was fading- he was tired, and felt weak, but he was so scared that this was a dream that he didn't want it to end, "I could see you, being tortured, and I swear that I could feel it too- only it wasn't like the Crucio curse at all, I don't think. It was a heavy, burning pain, deep in my chest. I felt like I wanted to die. I couldn't help you, I-"

Lily silenced James, pressing one dainty finger to his lips, and he fell silent. Lily stared at his now sleeping figure, amazed.

Snape had said that the dreamers would feel the pain that they were experiencing in the dream- and James had said…

James had been feeling the pain of loving someone. That had been what had kept him in so much pain. Lily smiled to herself, awestruck by the thought.

Because she knew now. James Potter didn't just follow her for the attention. He followed her for the nice times, the bad times, and all the pain that came along the way.

And if he got a little attention along the way then it couldn't hurt, right?

**A/N: I hope that you liked it. Sorry about the fluffy ending. Ah well, review for me, please! I will be very grateful! **

**Luv Ella xXx**


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